Top construction



H. S. PIERCE ET AL TOP CONSTRUCTION Sept. 21,1926, M 1,600,511

Filed Jan. '7, 1925 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 21,1926.

' UNITED STATES PATENT orricr. I

HODGSON S. END JOSEPH H. 'BOUBGON, OF DETROIQ MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS TO THESTUDEBAKER CORPORATION, OF SOUTH BEND, ENDIANA, *ANED DETROIT, MICHIGAN,A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY;

TOP CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed January This invention relates to tops for motorvehicles and the like and particularly to of the permanent type, and hasfor one of its objects to provide a top :of novel and improvedconstruction, the main por- :tion-of which is composed of sheet metalmake it strong and durable, and to which the various other top membersadjuncts may be applied to form a permanent uni-- l0 itary'struoture.

Another object is (to provide :a top frame constructed 'dirom acontinuous sheet of metal of such 'a construction that the top of whichit vforms a part will not be subject to the drumming or cracklingusually associated with metal taps.

Another object is to provide-asheetmetal top frame :with a plurality oflongitudinally extending relatiwely dong and narrow slots or openings inthe uppery'su-r-faee' thereof.

' Another object is to provide a top frame -;constnuoted from iacontinuous sheet of metal which 'risprovided "with a plurality ofrelatively long and narrowslots oropeni-ngs Tin the upper surfacethereof extending xlengthwi se of the :top, the metal at 'the edge ofsuch openings displaced in the operation of forming the same being bentdownwardly :to form stiffening :fi'anges.

Another object is to provide atop as desoribed above in which therelatively long and narrow openings :are spaced in overlapping positiontransversely *of the top.

' Another object is :to provide an automo- 1 I=n the accompanyingdrawings which illust-rate :a suitable gembodiment 'ozf'ithte :pres-'ent invention, :and in which "like numerals refer to like epalrtsthroughout the several views.

Figure .1 "is a perspective 'yiew of a completed top constructed inaccordance-with sbile top frame constructed mainly from 7, 1925. Serialno. 1,041. i

spective view of a portion of the :top frame of Figure 2, showing the..top inner lining secured in place.

. Figure 4 is a .transyerse section of the top frame of Figure 2,showing a transverse rib member .in place and they siderails or topcovering tackingstrip inplacfe, the top inner lining being omitted.

Figure 5 is a dongltudinal sectional view of the top illustratedinFigure 2, showing the top inner lining in place therein.

The top frame as shown in FigurelQ,

which .is an improvement ;of top frames heretofore used, is formedpreferably from single continuous sheet of metal into the desired shapeand contour,lbut in the fol lowing description and claims which mayrefer to the top frame as being constructed from .a continuous sheet rofmetal, it will :he kept-in mind that the present invention is notlimited .to a metal top frame whichpis constructed from :a single sheetof metal, .as

it is applicable toand includes those .con-' structions where the same.are made up .of a

plurality of units welded,,riveted .or otherwise suitablysecuredtogether .to form a continuous sheet, and has the same practical resultsand effectswas a frame constructed from a single sheet. i

Top frames constructed from a continuous sheet of metal have had but alimited use in the past due to the fact that these early designs .hadatendency to vibrate in unison, to a highly objectionable degree, withother vibrations present in the automobile of which they formed a part,or with the explosions of the engine, in much the same way that a drumhead may be made :to vibrate in sympathy with independent yibrations.Another great objection to the former tops occurred when the top wasdistorted or by weaving as the automobile of which it formed aparttraveledtover rough oruneven surfaces, :becauseof stresses of variouscharacters being set up .in the metal with the resulting tendency forthe metal to temporarily change its shape, which frequently causedsnapping or crack ling sounds much the same as are produced uponpressing the bottom of an oil can. In

the present invention such disadvantages and objections as appeared inthe former type of top have been eliminated and a structure is providedwhich will prevent flexibility with the body but not lose the advantageof a permanent top.

As mentioned above the metal of the top, which provides a top frame 10,is formed from a continuous sheet into the desired shape and contour,that is, to the shape of tops as shown in Figures 1 and 2, or otherwise,but preferably such that no flat spots are present anywhere on itssurface to better eliminate any drumming sound that may develop. V

To further prevent any drumming and to prevent any crackling sounds, aplurality of relatively long and narrow slots 11 extending lengthwise ofthe top are provided in the upper surface thereof. These slots 11 arepreferably in overlapping relation transversely of the top and the metaldisplaced in the forming of the same is preferventing the drumming ofthe top as similar openings .cut in a drum head would have upon thedrum. In addition, particularly when the slots 1.1 are overlapped asshown, a great amount of flexibility is imparted to the top which allowsit to weave without setting up the distortional stresses responsible forthe crackling sounds which have heretofore been present in metal tops.By turning down the metal at the edge of the openings to form theflanges 12, the strength of the top perpendicular to its upper surfaceis decreased little, if at all. by reason of the openings 11, but tofurther strengthen it in this direction and to provide tacking stripsfor the top inner lining 1 13 it may be preferable to provide ribs suchasr14t which extend transversely of the top and are secured thereto byscrews 15. The ribs .14 are preferably of wood and slots 16 are providedin the upper surface thereof to receive the flanges 12 so that the ribs14 may seat tightly against the inner surfaceof the metal frame 10. Theribs 141 may :be secured in place either across the overlapping portionof the slots 11, or across the non-overlapping portion as may be con- Isi dered *most advisable.

In order to properly hold the same in place, a connecting member 20 isprovided as shown in Figures 2 and 5. This connecting member 20, asshown, may be a casting, although it may be produced in a differentmanner such as from stampings, and is shaped to form an attaching flangefor receiving and to which is riveted the forward outer edge of thesheet metal frame 10.

lVhile we have illustrated a top adapted Formal changes may be made inthe specific embodiment of the invention described without departing'from the spirit and substance of the broad invention, the scope of whichis commensurate with the appended claims. i

What we claim is 1. In a motor vehicle, a top frame formed from acontinuous sheet of metal having a plurality of rows'of longitudinallyextending slots therein, the metal displaced in the forming of saidslots being bent downwardly about the edge of said slots to form slotsof greater depth than the thickness of the metal, and ribs'secured tothe under side of said frame extending transversely thereof, said ribsextending into said slots to lie substantially flush with the under sideof said frame. l

2. A vehicle top frame having a sheet metal roof portion, said roofbeing provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending relativelylong and narrow openings therein, the metal displaced in the forming ofsaid openings being bent downwardly to form flanges about the edge ofsaid openings, ribs extendingtransversely of said top and securedthereto, said ribs having slots therein to receive said flanges, theupper face of said ribs being flush with the underside of said frame. I

3. A vehicle top frame constructed from a continuous sheet of metal, theupper portion of said frame having a plurality of rows of longitudinallyextending long and narrow openings therein, the openings" in each rowoverlapping the openings in the adjacent row, and the metal displaced inthe therein, lying longitudinally of said frame and spaced inoverlapping relation trans versely of said frame.

5. A vehicle top frame having a sheet metal top portion provided with aplural-' ity of longitudinally extending relatively long and narrowtransversely overlapping openings therein, and ribs secured to theunderside thereof transversely of frame across the overlapping portionof W said said openings, said ribs extending into said openings. 7 I

Signed by us at Detroit, Michigan, U. S. A., this 31st day of December,1924:]

HODGSON S. PIERCE. JOSEPH H. BOURGON.

